Grant money available for reviewing 2009 celebration

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December 16, 2010

JEFF MEYERS Press-Republican The Press Republican Thu Dec 16, 2010, 09:14 AM EST

PLATTSBURGH — A final round of funding to promote the legacy of the region's role in the 2009 Lake Champlain Quadricentennial is now available.

The Lake Champlain Basin Program is seeking proposals from nonprofit organizations, municipalities and educational institutions for projects that will recognize the significance of the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's arrival in the summer of 1609.

LOOKING FOR LEGACY

"So many organizations did a tremendous job putting together the program for the Quad," said Jim Brangan, cultural heritage and recreation coordinator for the Basin Program.

"We want to create the same kinds of tools that were given to us from the people who commemorated the 1909 celebration. We want to provide a legacy that people in 2111 will appreciate."

Such projects as the Champlain monuments in Plattsburgh and Crown Point and the designation of the Fort Crown Point State Historic Site highlighted the 1909 celebration.

"They gave us a great report from the Tercentennial celebration," Brangan said of the 1909 organizers. "The New York report alone is 6 inches thick and includes all of the celebrations and speeches. It's our goal to create a legacy from 2009."

FUNDS DISTRIBUTED

The region received $366,000 in Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership funds for the Quadricentennial. Participating organizations contributed $1.2 million in matching funds to create a year-long celebration at a variety of venues.

In all, 41 grants were awarded for such projects as the Adirondack Architectural Heritage village tours, a walking guide for the City of Plattsburgh and the animated documentary "Dead Reckoning: Champlain in America," produced by Mountain Lake TV.

LAST CHANCE

The National Heritage Partnership is now offering up to $100,000 for the Legacy Program. Individual grants up to $10,000 will be available for programs designed to capture the atmosphere of the 2009 celebration.

"This will probably be the last go around, the last opportunity for Quad funding," Brangan said. "We're focusing on archival and conservation work for the different reports and programs that were created for the Quad."

People who were engaged in the celebration both through planning events and attending them will be vital in capturing what took place in 2009, he added.

CULTURAL CENTER

Organizers are also considering an opportunity to create a Franco-American/Native-American interpretive center based on the emphasis those two cultures received during the Quadricentennial.

"We've learned so much more about Native Americans and Franco Americans and how their roles evolved over the years," Brangan said, who noted that no specific plans for an interpretive center have been discussed at this time.

STAKEHOLDER GROUPS

The Basin Program is also seeking proposals for grants to organize and convene regional stakeholder groups in the 11 counties served by the Champlain Valley National Heritage Program.

Regional stakeholder groups will help identify community and county-level actions, clarify regional needs and provide information on upcoming initiatives throughout the region.

GRANT DEADLINE

Grant applications are due by Dec. 22 and must be submitted online at the Basin Program's website: www.lcbp.org.

Brangan said he expects at least 10 projects to be funded but noted that several more could make it through at less than the $10,000 limit.

E-mail Jeff Meyers at: jmeyers@pressrepublican.com